Cedar, sage, sweetgrass, and tobacco are sacred to Indigenous people across North America. These herbs are used to treat many illnesses and are crucial in many ceremonies.
There are four Sacred Medicines: Tobacco, cedar, sage, and sweetgrass. These are traditional medicines that have physical qualities for medicinal purposes, and a spiritual aspect used in traditional healing and ceremonies.
Tobacco is the first plant that the Creator gave to Native people. It is the main activator of all the plant spirits. Three other plants, sage, cedar and sweetgrass, follow tobacco, and together they are referred to as the four sacred medicines. The four sacred medicines are used in everyday life and in ceremonies.
It is often used to cleanse and purify the mind, body, and spirit. It can also be used to purify a place or an object. It is most common to place the four sacred medicines or each individual medicine into an abalone shell, light the medicine(s) with a match or lighter to ignite a small fire.
Herbs such as (myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), ague root (Aletris farinosa), and frankincense (Boswellia spp) in Christianity, Nine Herbs Charm in the partially Christianized Anglo-Saxon pagan, and a form of basil called tulsi— revered as a Hindu goddess for its medicinal value—are utilized in their rites and rituals.
Nigella Sativa (Prophetic Medicine): The Miracle Herb
belongs to the family Ranunculaceae and is recognized as a prophetic medicine because of its mention in Prophetic Hadith, as a natural remedy for all diseases except death. It is known as Habat-ul-Barakah/Habat-ul-Sauda in Arabian countries and as Kalonji in India.
Tobacco is the first plant that the Creator gave to Native people. It is the main activator of all the plant spirits. Three other plants, sage, cedar and sweetgrass, follow tobacco, and together they are referred to as the four sacred medicines. The four sacred medicines are used in everyday life and in ceremonies.
Burned to promote happiness, open heartedness and harmony, sweetgrass is a sacred plant like sage that has long been used in smudging ceremonies. Yet unlike sage, which is a shrub, sweetgrass is actually a type of grass. Traditionally, sage has been used to ward off evil spirits and cleanse a space, person or object.
The four colors (black, white, yellow, and red) embody concepts such as the Four Directions, four seasons, and sacred path of both the sun and human beings. Arrangement of colors vary among the different customs of the Tribes.
Nature has provided gifts that have been an important thread between native people and their spirituality. The Four Sacred Medicines (Tobacco, Cedar, Sage & Sweetgrass) have a historical and continuing cultural value to the spirit, physical & emotional well-being of native peoples.
When it comes to cooking, most kitchens will find the 'king of herbs' in their spice rack. Basil, known as the king for its popularity, is a cooking staple across the globe — from Asia to the Americas.
Burning sage is is a powerful ritual
The ritual of sage burning has its roots in Native American tradition. Today, people burn sage and other holy herbs to cleanse a space or environment of negative energy, to generate wisdom and clarity, and to promote healing.
Sweetgrass is much more than a nice smelling plant that can be burned. It represents the connection of humans to earth and sky and is used in many ceremonies and prayers. Typically, sage is burned first to cleanse and purify and is followed by sweetgrass to attract good energy and spirits.
It is used as a spice and a way to improve health in traditional medicine. Sage has a long history of use in Egyptian, Roman, and Greek medicine, as well as in Native American healing traditions. Dried sage is burned to heal, protect, increase wisdom, and boost defense against disease.
Only five species are mentioned directly as medicinal plants in the Bible: Fig (Ficus carica), Nard (Nardostachys jatamansi), Hyssop (Origanum syriacum), balm of Gilead (Commiphora gileadensis) and Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum).
To ensure safe medication preparation and administration, nurses are trained to practice the “7 rights” of medication administration: right patient, right drug, right dose, right time, right route, right reason and right documentation [12, 13].
Hyssop as we know it may or may not be the hyssop mentioned by David. There is some debate since the derivation of the name hyssop is in the Greek word hussopos and the Hebrew esob, meaning simply, "holy herb." (Psalms 51:7) Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
The top herbs for happiness include holy basil, St. John's wort, chamomile, ashwagandha, ginseng, Rhodiola, lemon balm, Mucuna, saffron, and maca. These herbs boost mood by providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, modulating the HPA axis, improving sleep quality, and increasing neurotransmitter activity.
Essentially, Happy High Herbs was understood to be a business that sold legal highs, but also herbal remedies. There was, depending on who you spoke to, talk of synthetic drugs.